


Breathe Again Beneath the Flame

by Douxgivre, FiccinDylan



Series: #steotrash [4]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Minor Character Death, Past Stiles Stilinski/Malia Tate, Sterek end game, and we're not sorry, sterek, we forgot about malia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-13
Updated: 2015-09-13
Packaged: 2018-04-20 16:36:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4794590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Douxgivre/pseuds/Douxgivre, https://archiveofourown.org/users/FiccinDylan/pseuds/FiccinDylan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He doesn’t know how much of him is human now, he doesn’t know how much of him ever really was.</p>
<p>He doesn’t know if he’s referring to Theo or himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Breathe Again Beneath the Flame

**Author's Note:**

> The THRILLING CONCLUSION!
> 
> Notes-
> 
> \--This is Sterek end game. We tried, but more than steotrash, we are sterek FILTH and steo is fun, but sterek is eternal yadda yadda.   
> \--WE ACTUALLY HAVE A PLAYLIST FOR YOU HOES!! Check out thee next installment in the series!  
> \--I hear someone is trying to put together a Steo fan week/big bang? I'd be interested in participating, especially with some stereo!  
> \--Thank you Ethan for taking hours out of your Sunday each week so we could roll in this filth together. You're amazing!

It doesn’t surprise him that he’s back, even after everything that’s happened. It’s been a week since Theo’s betrayals have been revealed and yet here his is, getting fucked in the ass by a super science engineered _experiment_. He doesn’t know how much of him is human now, he doesn’t know how much of him ever really was.

He doesn’t know if he’s referring to Theo or himself.

Still, Stiles is here. He comes and he comes and he stays and he goes home and he never stops hating himself, but he never stops coming over. Or rather, going there. Coming means he’s home where he belongs. Going means leaving his home, where he hasn’t felt he’s belonged for a while. Not with his dad who -when he’s not absent- still fails to ever really be present. And certainly not with her. She said the words to him, said she didn’t mind and that’s why she didn’t say anything. He knew then that she couldn’t see his guilt, his shame, and even if she did she’d never understand it, not enough to help. Not the way he thought Scott used to, not the way Derek had… not the way Theo does.

It’s been a week and muscle memory has kicked in. Stiles gets in her car -she still lets him use it- and instead of the store or school he drives to Theo’s. He sees Theo and he gets a sense of dread along with an erection. His ass aches but clenches when Theo’s eyes drag over his body. His jaw locks, but his mouth waters on the walk up Theo’s stairs to his room. It’s nearly Pavlovian, and Stiles is the dog that won’t stop barking.

He knows he shouldn’t. He knows that Theo hurt Lydia somehow, turned Liam against Scott, turned Scott against him, and is helping Malia who’s off doing god knows what with Braeden who has seemingly returned without Derek. No one pays attention to Stiles or lets him help, no one except Theo.

And even though Theo hurt his dad… well, he can’t really justify that beyond the times Theo lets him take his anger out on him when he’s topping, or when Theo lets him fuck his mouth, when he can feel Theo’s uvula on the tip of his dick. He tries not to think about his dad much during these times. He tries not to think of a lot of things. He just waits. He waits until something happens, something he can react too. And until then, he has sex with Theo.

“This is the hard part, Stiles.” he remembers Theo telling him. Before he made him choose between saving his dad and saving Scott. He couldn’t save both and honestly, he doesn’t know if he even wants either anymore.

Fucking Scott. Where was Scott anyway, his best friend, his brother? Stiles’ calls always went to voicemail, his texts always went unanswered. Even when he was trying to help. Even the night of the supermoon, when everything went to hell for everyone else, even though it’d already been that way for Stiles. He felt like he was the forerunner. No one seemed to notice or mind when his world fell apart, no one would listen when he tried to warn them of the trojan horse that Theo was.

They just looked at his tourniquets and felt the warm strength of his hugs and told Stiles he didn’t trust enough. Nope, despite his efforts he was ignored, but on the night of the supermoon when Theo magically transported all over town wreaking havoc and harvesting the fruits of his hellish tactics, _then_ everyone wants to take a look.

As Theo rims him, he shakes his head. That wasn’t even entirely accurate, because as their lives became undone they still didn’t reach out to Stiles, still didn’t include him. Scott _died_. He was dead for 15 minutes and he had to find out because of fucking Malia. Who stopped at his house to “grab a few things” before running out to meet with Braeden. She told him she was leaving the car. Hadn’t they broken up? Is this what being friends with your ex is like?

Stiles meant to get in the car and go see Deaton, go back to the hospital or even go and try to find Scott, but instead he went to Theo’s. That night he got so high he tried to go on the roof and fly. Theo laid on the ground while Stiles rode him and howled at the moon. The supermoon. He felt a strong grip on his hips while he flailed his arms out and threw his head back, spurting tear filled yowls into the air. For a single moment as he came, he felt peace. And he’s been trying to recreate that moment ever since.

He’s drunk and Theo’s cock is fucking his mouth. He’s gonna throw up. He should warn Theo, but he doesn’t want to. Before he can Theo unloads all over his face and then flops on the bed beside him.

“You might just graduate after all, Stiles,” Theo murmurs half-asleep already.

“From what, _The Theo Raeken School of Kinky Weregasms_?” Stiles fires back in his usual slurry fashion.

“Yes. You’re the head of the class with your first-class head. It’s only been a pleasure teaching you.” Theo props himself up on one elbow and looks into Stiles’ perturbed but amused eyes, “You know coyotes mate for life, right? Once they find the right one that is. I can’t imagine having sex with anyone else.” He says with a tremble in his voice, like he’s nervous Stiles will reject him. And if Stiles had any real self-worth and wasn’t so desperate to be accepted his damned self, he might have reason to be nervous. Malia tried this mates shit with him too and Stiles artfully dodged the conversation anytime it came up.

The jizz drying on his face made it difficult to ignore it this time.

“But it’s not as dire as Malia makes it sound. I’m really only half, so it’s a two-way street. I can’t mate with you for life if you don’t want to mate with me. But just think about it, we could be unstoppable.” Something seemed illogical about Theo’s insisting as he began to lick at this cum on Stiles’ face. Stiles tables it though, and concentrates more on Theo’s tongue. He licks along Stiles’ lips and then looks into his eyes for permission. Permission that Stiles still isn’t willing to give, despite that fact he’s steadily forgetting why.

“Unstoppable against what?” Stiles says loudly though he wants to scream. “ _What the fuck is your plan? Go to school with an army of zombies? Are we going to rob banks? What do you even want?_ ” No, no, no. He can’t say those things because those are suspicious. And if Theo is suspicious of Stiles’ loyalty, he’s afraid he’ll snap right in half.

He’s noticed, sure Stiles has been self involved lately, but he’s still observant. Ever since Theo’s been given the fealty of the zombie chimera pack, his behavior has become increasingly manic. There are bright highs like giving Stiles road head on their way to the lair where Theo is keeping the pack, followed by low depths like when Theo crushed a glass with his bare hands when Stiles asked him if he was going to clean it or just leave it in the sink. Later, to assuage him, Stiles came into an identical glass and asked Theo to drink it. As he did his eyes shone bright beta gold and his long tongue licked every bit of essence from the glass. Then he threw it against the wall and fucked Stiles on the couch.

So far none of these bursts of strength have been used against Stiles, but still… he treads lightly.

“Where do we go from here?” he asks instead. Theo huffs out a burst of hot air and rest his chin on his forearm over Stiles’ chest. He shrugs and says matter-of-factly,

“I’m the alpha.”

“You’re-” _you’re not_ is what Stiles _wants_ to say, but he’s not sure how, or what good it will do him. He’s got to change tact, “-a good leader to the chimeras.” And strangely enough he is. Theo trains with them and encourages them. Despite being undead humanoid experiments, the group are surprisingly emotive and desperate for leadership. Theo provides that with unnerving clarity.

Where Theo shows restraint and patience in the training field, he lets it all loose in the bedroom later. And this is the role that Stiles has learned to play. He can provide Theo with a sense of accomplishment, when after a long day of teaching zombie Hayden how to tear the head off of a leftover cadaver from the doctors, he can go home and pound into Stiles with more fervor and passion than ever before. After he shows zombie Josh the best pressure points on the human spine, he can feel the pleasure of Stiles leaving sweet kisses down his spine as he rails the werewolf from behind.

Theo thinks he has Stiles wrapped so hard around the boner he gets from just thinking about his newly arisen chimera army, and Stiles is happy to let him think it. Theo is so drunk on the mania of the thing, he’s forgotten the most important thing about the façade he’s supposed to have been meticulously crafting: he’s forgotten it’s a con.

He’s forgotten that he was supposed to use Stiles and then throw him away, that in his original game Stiles was supposed to be the disposable pawn. Instead he’s made Stiles the queen to his king. And the queen is the most powerful player.

*** 

During the weeks leading up to and including his rapturous seduction of Stiles, he was nothing but self-sacrificing for the boy. Theo, actually cares about Stiles, and Stiles finally, _finally_ sees it. He can see the gears turning in Theo’s head, can see the blueprints being made and the plan mapped out. He can see where his original path first led to him freezing to death in a shallow creek, but now leads to the throne to sit side by side with Theo.

He’s learned through their time together that while Theo is a chimera, he hasn’t forgotten his humanity. He understands loneliness and feeling like there’s no match just like he understands the peaceful yet frightening nature of letting your guard down to allow someone else in. Stiles is not immune to it himself. Theo fell hard, and Stiles fell too. And while he might not have believed it was genuine at all times, Stiles couldn't help but be stricken by Theo, the scrape of his fangs, the thrust of his wiles. The reflection of a part of himself that’s like staring into the sun. He needs to look away, but he won’t.

He should leave, cut his losses before he forgets again. Before the twist of Theo’s hips makes him think that maybe this isn’t such a bad plan; before Theo’s thumb dipping into the slit of his cock is enough to make him consider love. He still hasn’t kissed him, he still calls him Derek to keep him at a distance, but he can’t play this off for much longer.

“-after we kill him we’ll finally be able to-” Stiles head swings up as he stares at Theo, trying to figure out what he missed.

“Kill him? Kill who?!” Stiles demands as Theo rolls his eyes endearingly.

“Scott, Stiles.” He says pointedly. “I was able to get everyone else out of the equation. Kira was never really in play, and Lydia is in Eichen House. Mason and Liam are under control, especially now that I have Cory and Hayden. Your dad is protecting you now, and Malia is off with Braeden trying to kill the Desert Bitch. All that’s left is Scott.”

Stiles nods slowly, still trying to catch up, “So… what’s the plan?”

“To kill him. We don’t need him, Stiles. He’ll only get in our way. We have to kill him and you have to help me.”

‘ _This is fucking crazy,_ ” Stiles thinks to himself. He’s found when dealing with Theo he relies a lot on his inner monologue to get him through Theo’s manic ramblings. He’s gotten better at thinking about what he says before it slips out of his mouth.

“This is fucking crazy.” He says out loud with immediate regret. He’s gotten better, but he’s still got a lot of work to do.

“It’s not fucking crazy. Do you think I’m crazy, Stiles?” Theo says with wild eyes, his grip tightening on Stiles’ arms as he pushes himself above the boy. Stiles nods and pets his face lightly to soothe him.

“Okay.. okay, Theo. I know, it just… it took me by surprise. Come here.” Stiles puts his arms around Theo’s waist and pulls him down on top of him so their bodies are flush. Their eyes are level and Stiles can feel Theo’s toes on his shins. He nuzzles Theo’s neck and opens his legs so Theo can fit in between them. Theo begins thrusting his hardening cock up and down Stiles’ perineum.

“I’m… _shit_ , I’m sorry,Stiles. I just.. well you know how it is.”

Stiles nods as he runs his hands up and down Theo’s chest and around to his ass, grabbing the mounds and helping him to thrust forward.

“I know, I know. Okay, so we’re going to kill Scott? Tell me how.”

Theo stills and pins Stiles with his dark green eyes. He pops up quickly and grabs the lube from where he’d thrown it across the room earlier. Without breaking eye contact he puts one foot up on the side of the bed and wets his fingers before inserts his digits into his own ass. He withdraws them with a whimper and grins at Stiles, winking as he straddles the boy, sinking him smoothly into the heat of Theo’s bowels. Then he just sits there, slightly sweating and unmoving. Stiles tries absently to buck his hips, but Theo is too heavy. 

Theo lays it out.

“First, we’re going to capture Liam and his bitch boy, Mason. It’ll be easy again since I have Cory and Hayden and it puts something on the line.”

“Then, we’re going to make Scott bite you. He’ll be distracted trying to save Liam and his defenses will be down.”

“Finally, I’ll kill him -- taking his alpha power for good.” Theo looks at Stiles expectantly waiting for him to agree. There was something missing though. Stiles was far too distracted to figure out what, but something in this plan doesn’t make sense. He nods his head anyway and finally Theo starts to move.

Stiles comes so hard he sees stars. Like the kind you see in a fairytale as the royal court surveys their land on a glorious night.

“You’re a prince, Stiles. You’re a real prince.”

“Yeah, but you’ve made me the queen, haven’t you?” Theo pulls Stiles over so his head and resting on his chest. Stiles can feel as he presses a kiss to his crown.

“Yeah.”

The day comes quickly, it was only a couple of days later, but it was still faster than Stiles anticipated. Some unrelated supernatural shit came up and stuff with Lydia at Eichen and Stiles had nearly forgotten about Theo’s plan until he goes into his house and sees the kitchen table outfitted with vials of wolfsbane and mountain ash. The fucker even had mistletoe.

“Shit!” Stiles says as he picks up a vial holding the rare and deadliest yellow wolfsbane.

“Right? Isn’t it gorgeous? I found some seedlings in Argent’s old warehouse. I nursed it back to life along with my pot. The pot’s actually a decoy.”

“Uhh, yeah.” Stiles says as he rubs his neck. “Theo.. we need, we need to talk about this plan some more. I don’t think-”

“Stiles, are you with me?” Theo grabs Stiles’ hands and looks pleadingly into his eyes, like this is all he has ever wanted. Like _Stiles_ is all he’s ever wanted. And with Stiles comes his loyalty. He wants this so badly from Stiles and even though Stiles knows that Theo is crazy, knows that Theo is dangerous, he can’t deny what’s right in front of him; a reflection of himself, just wanting someone to understand. And this is all Stiles needs to know before he says,

“Yes, Theo. I’m here, aren’t I?”

“Yes, you are, you are here. But are you _with_ me?” Theo nearly begs. Stiles nods causing Theo to smile widely.

“Good, so you accept me as the alpha?” Stiles tries not to cringe because he knows Theo needs this.

“Yes, Theo, you’re the alpha of the chimeras.” he says carefully. There’s a glint of something in Theo’s eyes that settles into something worrisome for Stiles.

“You accept me as _your_ alpha?” Theo asks. Stiles braces himself and again nods.

“Sure… uhh, yeah Theo. You’re… you’re my alpha.”

“Then you want my bite.” Theo… _states_ , what is a statement called when it’s actually a demand without question? Fuck, Stiles has fucked up.

“Theo… what? Why do I need to get the bite?” Stiles asks, trying to buy time, he knows no matter what the answer is it’s going to be crazy and Stiles fears his time is running out.

“If you believe that I’m your alpha, then my bite will change you and you’ll be my beta.” Theo says nodding, before sitting on the edge of the table, fingering a vial of purple wolfsbane. It’s harmful to wolves, but fatal to humans. He eyes Stiles carefully. Stiles approaches the situation like he’s diffusing a bomb, and in every way he definitely is.

“Theo, you… well, you’re not an alpha.” If the way to diffuse a bomb was to throw it against a wall of hard truths then Stiles would be an expert. “You’re an experiment at the very least, you’re a pretty damned successful one at best. But you’re not actually supernatural, you’re not a were.”

Stiles Stilinski is not good at defusing bombs, he’s better at setting them off.

“Stiles, shut up! You don’t know what you’re saying, so shut _up_.” Theo walks towards him menacingly and crushes the vial in his hand. The purple serum drips down his hand as he points his finger at Stiles, poking him in the chest.

“Theo calm down, I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know! I mean, you have to know this, you’re not stupid!”

“Oh I’m stupid now!?” Theo yells as he takes a swipe at Stiles. Stiles dodges carefully as he also tries to avoid the flying stripes of serum. If just a small amount absorbs into his skin, he’ll be sick for days.

“You’re _not_!” Stiles pants as he plasters himself into the corner, “You’re not, but this plan of yours is. I need to know that you can still tell the difference between reality and fantasy, I need to know that you can do this so I can help you! I just want to help you!” Stiles cowers in the corner as Theo reaches out his clean hand and wraps it around Stiles’ neck. Stiles can feel the prick of his claws and a small stream of blood drip down his spine.

“I… I want to help you.” Stiles says, tears streaming down his face. Theo leans forward and goes slightly on his toes to lick up the tears. He then places the tip of his tongue at the entrance to Stiles’ mouth and pushes in. Stiles gags a bit, but then sucks Theo’s tongue, tasting the saltiness of his tears there. He closes his eyes as Theo kisses his bottom lip.

“You will help me,” he whispers smoothly as he rubs his hands up and down Stiles’ neck. His soiled hand is stretched to his side, as far away from Stiles as he can manage. “You’ll help me defeat Scott.”

And suddenly that’s when something clicks inside of Stiles. If Theo’s mistake was forgetting there was a con, then Stiles mistake was forgetting there never was. Theo has always been extremely open about his wants and motivations. He came back for a pack, he came back to be an alpha, he came back for Stiles. Stiles thinks back to how the three of them used to hang out. Normally Scott and Stiles ganging up to defeat Theo. Whether it was capture the flag or hide n’ seek, Stiles and Scott were one in the same. So if Theo’s plan was to eliminate Scott then it was also to eliminate Stiles. Despite the fact that they’ve been fucking for weeks now, despite Theo’s persistent claims that they would rule side by side. Stiles hasn’t controlled his rhetoric, he made movements in a bubble while the real plan swirled around him unfettered. The sex? The sex was a distraction, that perfect cock, that perfect tongue! All designed to distract, but not Theo, _Stiles._ Theo’s plan hinges on Stiles, but it will also undo Stiles at the same time. Theo is using him to get to Scott, but also to kill himself. And when they’re both gone playing hide n’ seek, Theo will be ruling a zombie chimera army to take over Beacon Hills.

“If you want to defeat Scott then you’ll make _him_ bite me. Then I’ll kill him and give you the alpha. That’s the only way this works, Theo. I need to know that you’re with me on this.” Theo watches him carefully and then nods, stepping back and turning his back on Stiles to walk to the kitchen. As he walks slowly away, Stiles surveys at least six objects he could use to kill Theo, but he knows Theo knows it so he waits. He’s going to burn this motherfucker and his army of freaks down to the ground. He’s just gotta figure out how.

Stiles licks his lips and and he can still taste the salt from Theo’s tongue on them. He winces at the thought of letting Theo kiss him that way, he’d rather it be anyone but Theo, hell, even her. He wanted it most to be-

Stiles furrows his eyebrows and covertly fishes out his phone while listening to Theo clean off his hand in the other room. Stiles fires off a quick text and goes into the kitchen to join Theo.

***

The night everything goes down, Theo picks Stiles up and they drive to the school. Stiles sighs. It’s always at the school, and it’s raining… it’s _always_ raining. They pull into the parking lot and the zombie army clamours out of the truck bed and waits for Theo’s instructions. He motions for everyone to walk slowly around to the entrance and tells the chimeras to stay where they are and not come out until summonsed. Theo and Stiles keep walking.

“You remember the plan?” Theo mumbles under his breath. Stiles nods minutely.

“Yeah, tonight’s the night you become alpha.” Theo smiles and leans over, kissing Stiles on the cheek. Stiles hears a noise of disgust as they round the corner and sees Malia staring at him.

Next to her stands Scott, confused and pissed off and next to him are Liam who looks resigned to the entire situation and Mason who looks simply awed.

“Hmph, a little bit of a paltry showing, huh, McCall? Where’s your great and mighty pack?” Theo asks cheekily. Scott stays silent but stares daggers into Stiles. Stiles at first tries to plead with him using his eyes, but Scott is far too angry. Stiles gives up and looks at the ground.

“And I’m disappointed in you, Malia. I thought you’d see it my way, especially after the long _talks_ we had.” Theo says with a suggestive flick of the tongue. Malia grimaces and Stiles tries not to gawk. He’s more surprised with how little he actually cares.

“You’re crazy, Theo.” Malia looks pointedly at Stiles, “Only a psychopathic idiot would follow you.” Stiles doesn’t even try to feign offense, he knows how this looks. He shrugs and looks sadly at her before turning his gaze to Scott.

“Stiles, what’s going on? Why are you with him?” Scott asks. There’s a familiar vulnerability in his eyes, but only raw angry veering on hatred in his voice. Stiles steels himself and begins his rehearsed speech.

“I’m with him because he remembers what it’s like to be human, Scott. Not fluffy rainbows and goodness, but the real, actual parts of humanity that you’re too scared to admit exist. The shitty parts, Scott, the parts that frighten me every day of my godforsaken life but I have to live with them, don’t I? Not everything can go my way like it does for you. My entire life I’ve had it hard, I’ve had really fucked up things happen but- but not you! You’ve had _one_ real setback-”

“I’ve had more than one fucking setback, Stiles! My dad-”

“You don’t even remember that, Scott! It’s bullshit! You had asthma and you became a wolf and it went away!”

“It came back!” Scott yells out.

“What? Fuck you, it came back? When did that happen?”

“Maybe if you weren’t too busy getting fucked by the villain.” Scott sneers and Stiles steps forward. He’s only slightly pleased when Scott inches back ever so slightly.

“We were _all_ getting fucked by him, Scott, some just more literally than others!” Scott winces and Stiles can feel Theo’s stare on him so he regroups, “And he’s not the villain, and neither am I. And the fact that you can’t see that makes it clear why you can’t both be alpha.”

Stiles takes a step back and puts his hand on Theo’s shoulder.

“I choose Theo.”

Theo considers Stiles’s hand and then smiles. He turns to Scott and his blitzkrieged pack.

“He chooses me, Scott. How does that feel? How does it feel that your best friend and your brother doesn’t even believe in you to be a productive alpha for your pack? How does it feel to know that together, your best friend and your nemesis are going to rule Beacon Hills?”

“Together?” Malia mumbles, finally coming back online. Stiles watches her carefully. He nearly wishes he’d been able to let her in on the plan, but she left him and there was no point in jeopardizing their secrecy.

“Yes, Malia.” Theo said cockily, taking a step towards her. She stands her ground. “I appreciate Stiles in a way you never will. In a way none of you ever have. I bring out the beast in him while still connecting to his human. After Scott brings out that beast for good, we’re going to run this place.”

“You’re gonna run it into the ground.” Malia says. Theo’s claws lengthen as he glares at her.

“What?” Scott interjects, “What am I going to do?”

“We’re going to make this place what it should always have been.” Theo continues his monologuing, “Once Stiles is changed we’ll be unstoppable.”

“The only way he can be changed is if you’re an alpha, Theo. And no matter what you call yourself, you’re never gonna be that.” Scott sassily explains. Theo seethes, even after the revelation from Stiles it still doesn’t sit well with him.

Theo cracks his neck and flashes his eyes, “bite him, Scott. Bite him and turn him.” Scott blanches and takes a step even further away from Stiles, like putting distance between them will help in case Scott is under some kind of mind control.

“I’m not going to do that! What makes you think I would ever do that!?” Scott stammers, looking around, trying to get his bearings. Theo laughs.

“Because you if you don’t, then this-” Theo lunges forward and slashes Malia’s neck. Stiles can see the purple wolfsbane serum on Theo’s claws as Malia falls to the ground gurgling on her own tainted blood, “-is going to happen to _your_ beta.”

This wasn’t part of the plan and Theo looks at Stiles, testing him. Stiles couldn’t move if he wanted to, can’t take his eyes off the girl as she writhes on the ground and finally stops moving. Everything goes blurry and Stiles entire body shakes as he hears yelling all around him.

“Stiles! Oh my god, Stiles, this isn’t supposed-”

“Scott, they’re here! The chimeras are here and they’re going to-”

Stiles’ vision finally comes back into focus and he can see Mason running away out of view and Liam wolfing out to fight zombie Josh and zombie Tracy.

“DO IT, SCOTT!” Theo yells as he pushes Stiles toward Scott. Stiles stumbles and Scott reaches out to catch him.

“ _Auugh_!” Liam yells out as the chimeras attack him at once, leaving him unconscious on the ground. Zombie Hayden screams but doesn’t rush to give aide, it’s as though she’s frozen in her turmoil.

“Scott, do it or I kill him! I kill Liam!” Theo threatens taking out a gun and showing Scott the wolfsbane bullet as he loads it. Hayden’s eyes get large and Scott hesitates.

“Do it, Scott! NOW!”

“OKAY!” Scott yells. “Okay, I’ll do it.” He looks at Stiles with sad, glossy eyes and Stiles simply nods and bares his neck.

Scott lengthens his fans and leans in slowly. Theo is mapping every movement, nearly salivating in anticipation.

And it’s as if time stops in that moment where teeth graze neck, so sensual, deadly. And Stiles remembers that this is why Scott and he work. Because no matter how flawed when Stiles falls, Scott will try to catch him. And no matter how hopeless Scott is, Stiles will let him. Stiles closes his eyes and resigns himself to his fate. That he acted too late, that he didn’t do enough, and now he would spend the rest of his life trying to tame the monster he’d become.

“Scott! Not so fast!” Suddenly (yet not surprisingly since this is the usual M.O. for their family), Derek Hale emerges from the shadows and plunges his claws into the back of Scott’s neck. “I’ll be taking that.”

Despite the tension, Stiles can’t help but roll his eyes as Derek draws out the alpha from Scott. His eyes flash bright red for the first time in over a year and Stiles can’t help but feel a little proud.

“Derek, what the _fuck_?!” Scott yells. Derek cracks his neck and looks briefly down at Stiles, winking.

“I’ll explain in a minute, buddy. There are more pressing matters at hand.” He explains dismissively. Scott picks up Stiles and mouths ‘ _buddy?_ ’ while looking hideously betrayed as Derek transforms into a wolf, and leaps over the both of them towards Theo. Theo doesn’t even have time to point his gun at Derek before Derek is on top of him, gnashing at the boy angrily.

“Chimera Army, get him off of me!” Theo yells, trying to avoid Derek’s muzzle. The zombies start to descend on Derek, but he lets out a mighty howl, roaring them into submission. He then looks at Theo, flashing his red eyes and getting a flash of yellow in return. If wolves can smile, Derek demonstrated it then, right before ripping out Theo’s throat… with his teeth.

“Down boy… I think you got him.” Derek huffs towards Stiles and pouts sheepishly. Stiles would find it cute if not for the blood dripping from Derek’s muzzle. Hell, it was still pretty cute. Stiles walks up to the body and takes a baggie of mountain ash from his pocket. He pours it into the space of Theo’s body where his trachea used to be and Theo’s corpse suddenly cracks up and disintegrates into a pile of dust.

Derek shifts back and puts on some gloves to scoop up the ashes into a plastic baggie while Stiles debriefs Scott.

“I knew Derek had split from Braeden at some point and was down in South America, so when I researched I saw that there’d been new developments in controlling your alphahood. I called Derek, caught him up -which, you don’t need to yell at me, it was enough embarrassment for a lifetime- and we came up with a plan.”

“A plan that you only told me half of?”

“Secrecy was key Scott, and I needed your honest reaction. I don’t want you to have to make you lie. If you knew Derek was coming you’d keep looking for him and it would have tipped Theo off.”

“And you knew he was coming? The whole time, even at the end?”

“Derek’s always going to come for us, Scott.”

Derek clears his throat before joining the two on the stairs. He’s corralled the zombie army and helped Liam up and signaled to Mason it was okay to come out. Liam and Mason are talking to the chimeras.

“Why Derek though?”

“You would be too obvious and we needed someone who was familiar enough with being an alpha. Theo knew about Derek, but never really understood the Hale legacy. Even if he’d smelled Derek nearby, his hubris wouldn’t have allowed him to care. He was a beta, he wasn’t a threat. He didn’t know Derek found another way to take the alpha, evidently it only works if you were an alpha before. You wolves and your crazy safeguards.”

“Okay, but I still don’t get it. I mean, no offense, Derek. I’m happy you saved the day and I appreciate the irony that you violated me to do it.” Stiles doesn’t miss the glint in Derek’s eye at the admission. Scott continues, “but I don’t understand why I couldn’t bite Stiles and then we both fight Theo together?”

Stiles sighs and thinks carefully about what he wants to say next.

“Scott, I love you buddy, I do. And you’re my moral compass and that’s great, but sometimes you have to do what’s right and that’s not always what’s good. We had to put Theo down and you wouldn’t have agreed.” Stiles explains. Scott looks at him sadly.

“So is this killing thing becoming habit now, or what?” Scott says sarcastically. It’s what Stiles knows is left unsaid that angers him and he isn’t sure what answer Scott wants from him.

“Dammit, Scott,” Stiles flails out his arms frustratedly, “You can’t tell me that after all of this you still haven’t learned a thing!”

“I just.. I don’t know what to do with this, Stiles. I can’t say it’s okay for you to kill people, but I do get that sometimes… I guess… I don’t know!”

Stiles opens his mouth to protest more, but then thinks better of it. He steals a glance at Derek who is watching him calmly and peacefully. Derek cocks his head slightly towards Scott and Stiles looks back at his best friend.

“You know what? It doesn’t matter. Because I don’t care what you think anymore. I love you and I’ll always have your back, you're my brother and my best friend. You’re my alpha and that’s not going to change. But I killed Theo and I’m not sorry and I’m not guilty about it and I’d do it again. I probably will in the future. I know that scares you, but you’re going to deal with it because you love me too and know I will always do whatever it takes to protect you.” Scott looks at Stiles with his big brown eyes and suddenly snorts.

“I’m not your alpha, I’m not anyone’s alpha.” He says in a small voice. Derek turns to look at Scott.

“It’s temporary Scott.” he reaches out and digs his claws back into Scott’s neck and flashes his eyes which are suddenly back to blue. Scott shakes his head and cracks his neck. He flashes his eyes and sees the reflection of red glow burn through the night.

“Holy shit! I’m the alpha again?!”

“In name, so you can put together your pack, but you lack the abilities of a full alpha which means you’re limited to your beta powers.” Derek explains. Scott (and hell, Stiles) look at Derek confused.

“While you two were rhapsodizing about euthanasia I put Theo’s ashes in the nemeton. They can’t be reanimated there. One of the reasons I took your alpha powers is because they’re needed to find the nemeton.”

“I could have used my alpha powers for that?”

“Yes, which is another reason I took them.” Derek raises his eyebrows, “I stored your alpha power there.”

Scott looks ready to fight, but just stands and listens, trying to put together the pieces of this entire night. Derek sees his patience, but also his frustration. He walks up and places a hand on Scott’s shoulder.

“Scott, you were given something that you weren’t in any way ready for. You can still lead your pack, but this time you’ll _earn_ your alpha. It won’t have to be by killing but instead by demonstrating you deserve it. And when you do, the location will be made known to you.”

“Being a true alpha is a privilege, Scott.” Stiles adds in. Scott looks at him knowingly and grins.

“The bite is a gift?” he offers. All three of them chuckle and Derek nods.

“You just have to realize it, and I think you will.”

Scott beams and stands a little bit taller. He puts his arm around Stiles’ shoulder.

“I know I can do it, especially with my number two here by my side, right?” Scott looks at Stiles, but Stiles shakes his head.

“No, Scott, I… if you need me I can come back. But I can’t stay here.” Scott’s eyes furrow.

“But what about…” he tries to think of something that will sway Stiles, even though he’s sure Stiles has already made up his mind. “What about your dad?!”

“My dad is okay. As soon as he gets healthy I’m going to move him to me, or he might stay here, I don’t know, I’ll deal with that when it comes, but for now? I’m gone, Scottie.”

“With who? Him?!” Scott asks with a cocked brow and an accusatory finger waving at the bestubbled figure. Stiles reaches over and pinches the back of Derek’s hand.

“Yeah, with Derek.”

“B-but.. you’ll stay for a while, right? Help clean this mess up? I’m alpha to a bunch of chimeras, Lydia is still at large, Kira is gone, Liam came out tonight, but he still kind of hates me… Mason! You gotta stay and then we can say goodbye!” Scott motions to the group of lost souls waiting for their leader. He turns to look back at Stiles who is leaning into Derek and grinning.

“This is our goodbye, for now. But I’ll be in touch, okay?”

Scott opens his mouth to make an aborted attempt, but sees the fatigue settling into his best friend.

“Stiles… I’m sorry.”

“Thank you, Scott. I appreciate that.”

“I love you too, you know? You’re my brother and when I’m alpha again, I’m going to come find you, okay?”

“When you’re alpha again, I’ll come find you.” Stiles holds out his hand and Scott grabs it, hauling his brother in for a hug to end all hugs. When they’re done he passes him to Derek who helps him into the passenger side of his truck. Stiles’ duffle bag is already in the back.

Scott waves as they drive off into the sunrise, and then he turns back to his pack, and begins to put it back together.

 

 

 

**EPILOGUE**

“I can’t believe you let that kid fuck you. What, was he supposed to be a replacement for me?”

“Well I can’t believe you played house for an entire season with a mercenary with shitty taste in Italian boots!”

“Season?”

“Yeah, hunting season, the spring, summer, it was a long ass time. What, was she a replacement for me?”

“She has a better rack.”

“I can’t argue with that, but don’t think I won’t try.”

“I know you will, it’s one of the reasons I love you.”

“You love me, eh? Even though I’m a killer, even though I was literally sleeping with the enemy?”

“Yeah, well, we all make mistakes. I’m sure this one is gonna bite me in the ass somehow.”

“Or fuck you in the ass after we get over the border, am I right?” Stiles grins sleepily, his head pressed up against the window as the morning sun illuminates his face. Derek has never been more happy to have answered his text.

“Hell yeah.”

 

 

 

**EPILOGUE 2 _*Theo Crack-en edition*_**

“Speaking of borders, how the hell did you get up here so quickly?”

“I traveled via nemeton.”

“What.”

“Well the nemeton isn’t a place so much as it is… a state of mind. And the mind is pliable, and very powerful. You can use it to bridge two places together via the nemeton, so instead of 29 hours, it took about 30 minutes.”

“That’s fucking rad, can I go with you next time?”

“What? No! It doesn’t work like that.”

“What, you don’t have enough frequent layline miles to snag me a comp ticket?”

“Shut up, Stiles.”

“I missed that. I missed you.”

“I missed you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for coming on this journey with us! Your comments are like buttery coffee to us! We know some of you might be mad at the Sterek, but... well. 
> 
> Also, we forgot about Malia, and we're perfectly okay with that. 
> 
> LATER GATORS! Check me out at [@FiccinDylan on Tumblr](http://ficcindylan.tumblr.com) and Ethan [@hauntthebones](http://hauntthebones.tumblr.com) or [@dulcetfrost](http://twitter.com/dulcetfrost) on Twitter!


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